FOUR years from now, upon completion of the $1 billion new home of the Giants and Jets, demolition experts will strategically place explosives at key pressurepoints around Giants Stadium and, upon detonation, the building will be imploded.

A few weeks from now, that same awesome destruction must take place with the New York Giants. Their entire operation must be imploded, and out of the wreckage a new and improved product must be spawned.

It is over for Tom Coughlin and this coaching staff, but the change must run deeper, the upheaval more far-reaching. If this woebegone team does not make the playoffs – it certainly doesn’t deserve to even utter the word – it will make 16 years without consecutive postseason appearances. That is a despicable run of extended non-success and the most damning evidence of all that when the ownership bloc of John Mara and Steve Tisch evaluate what went so dreadfully wrong, the cutting must run deep.

In the last 15 years, the Giants qualified for the playoffs five times. Even if they somehow get it together long enough to beat the Redskins on Saturday and at 8-8 become a weakling NFC wild card team they will be imposters. Mara grew up living and breathing the game; he is sharp enough to recognize a playoff team when he sees it and he must know this isn’t one.

From this vantage point, the rampant Fire Coughlin media frenzy more than a month ago was based more on personal dislike than pure football reasoning. Only a fool, though, continues to mop up the puddles on the floor without realizing there’s a leak in the roof. There is no defending Coughlin after the disgraceful way his club was thrashed by the Saints 30-7, the fourth consecutive home-field loss for a team that showed few signs of fight before the game and plenty of signs of quit during it. The “restoration of Giants pride” – Coughlin’s self-imposed marching orders – has not been achieved.

How can even the most patient and reasonable evaluator judge what has transpired with the Giants and decide Coughlin should stay? He signed a four-year, $12 million contract and if he’s gone before it expires his hiring goes down as a colossal mistake. So be it. Saving face doesn’t cut it, or shouldn’t cut it.

Everything goes under the microscope. If Eli Manning is to be salvaged, another coaching staff must save him, as different voices are needed to determine if Manning has been mishandled or is a gargantuan bust. As for the soontobe vacant general manager seat, it does not seem feasible or make much sense that the Giants can replace Ernie Accorsi from within if they blow out the entire coaching staff.

The search for new leadership should be all-encompassing. Charlie Weis can retire at Notre Dame with all the security he has attained, but he craves the Giants job and nearly got it three years ago. He’s worth another look. Mara should put a call in to Scott Pioli, the Patriots vice president of player personnel (and Bill Parcells’ son-in-law), as no compensation would be needed to make him the Giants GM. Pioli was a devout Giants fan and his dream is to run the Giants. While he’s at it, Mara should gauge Bill Belichick’s interest in bolting New England. Crazy? The only other NFL job Belichick covets is the Giants and he may be growing tired of watching prime players leave because Bob Kraft doesn’t want to pay. Word out of New England is Belichick in 2003 signed a three-year extension through this season. He must be contacted through intermediaries to see if he wants to return to his former home.

While the owners are at it, they need to take a hard look at the scouting department, which has not exactly provided cutting-edge information to fortify the roster through the draft. A shakeup might be in order.

Maybe the Giants backdoor into the playoffs, actually win a game and usher in 2007 with a jolt of optimism.

Either way, hard and uncomfortable decisions are coming and the answers will either save the franchise or resign it to more of the same.